Stranger
by Cat2000
Summary: Carter’s girlfriend (an oc) can’t deal with him being a Power Ranger, and it causes a breakup


**Stranger**

**Summary:** Carter's girlfriend (an oc) can't deal with him being a Power Ranger, and it causes a breakup

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Lightspeed Rescue Power Rangers, and I'm not making any money from this fic. However, I do own the original character Denise, the plot of this story, and the lyrics to Stranger

**Author's Note:** I may have tweaked the storyline a bit here, and I apologise for that if I have

-

"Denise, I'm home!" Carter yelled as he let himself in through the front door.

The red-head glanced up for a moment at hearing her boyfriend's voice, and then returned to stabbing viciously at the food on her plate, her teeth sunk hard into her lower lip in an attempt to bite back the angry words that threatened to escape.

"Denise, where are you?" Carter came into the kitchen and paused. He tried to smile. "Hey," he said.

Denise stood up, and all but threw her plate and cutlery at the sink.

"What's wrong?" Carter asked.

_When everything's gone wrong__  
And everything's a mess__  
And silence falls__  
In the place of tears__  
I just can't cope anymore__  
I feel like you're not here_

"What's _wrong_?" Denise repeated, her voice rising an octave or two. She spun on Carter, her hazel eyes flashing with anger. She stormed right up to the red ranger, and jabbed her finger into his chest. "Where have you _been_?" she demanded.

Carter caught her finger before she could jab it again, and held it with a frown. "Denise, you _know_ that I'm a Power Ranger," he said. "I didn't have a choice."

Denise yanked her finger away, and folded her arms. "But you're doing it _all_ the time!" she protested. "I never know from one moment to the next where you're going to be. I don't know if you're going to come back hurt, or even return at all."

Carter's eyes widened slightly. "Denise, what are you saying?"

Denise met his gaze unflinchingly. "I'm saying that maybe you can't have me _and_ be a Power Ranger," she responded steadily.

The silence that fell was deafening.

_It's like I don't know you anymore__  
All you are is a stranger to me__  
What I thought I knew__  
Turned out to be a lie_

"I don't _know_ you anymore," Denise said, breaking the silence. "It's like you've put up a wall between us, and you won't let me through."

Carter was startled by that. "I..." he began. Was it true? _Had_ he been closing himself off from Denise?

"I have to _lie_ to my friends," Denise muttered, turning away. "When you're not around, I have to make excuses for you."

"I'm sorry." Carter didn't know what else to say. With a sigh, he ran his hand through his hair.

Denise looked back at him. "Not sorry enough to stop being a Power Ranger."

_And even though I know I should not__  
I cannot help but love you__  
And it cuts like a knife__  
Deep in my heart...__  
And it feels like you're not listening__  
I just can't prevent the words_

"I _can't_ give up being a Power Ranger," Carter protested. "It's my life now. I love you, Denise, but I won't abandon the earth because you want me to stop helping people."

Denise sighed. "Carter, I can't live with you like this," she said. "I love you... But I can't deal with the fact that one day you might not come back. It's not just some computer game!" she added. "It's life or death."

Carter flinched at that. "I know that," he responded, hurt. "You think I'm a Power Ranger just to prove something to myself?"

"I think you're being selfish," Denise muttered.

_You turn away from me__  
I know that you don't understand__  
I can't keep going like this_

Carter looked away from Denise, feeling incredibly tired. Really, all he had wanted was to see her this evening. But it sounded like Denise had been waiting for a long time to say her little speech.

Denise closed her eyes for a moment, hurt deep inside. "I... can't keep on," she whispered. "I know how wives must feel when their husband is a soldier. It's hard to cope. I... I won't even know if you die or not! No one's likely to come to me and say, 'Your boyfriend's dead'!"

Carter wiped a hand across his face, and sighed. He knew how Denise was feeling, he really did. But he couldn't just stop being a Power Ranger. He wouldn't be able to deal with it.

_It's who I am now. The feelings of just one person can't be measured against the safety of everyone in the world._

Carter didn't realise that he'd spoken out loud until Denise gave him a stricken look.

_And the tears slowly fall__  
But neither of us can see__  
We don't know how to cope with this__  
I don't want to let you go__  
But I feel I have no choice_

Denise felt her eyes well up with tears. She blinked, and one escaped, trickling down her face. She made no move to wipe it away. She felt as bad as if Carter had just hit her, something which she knew he would never do.

Carter felt just as stricken as Denise looked. He wanted to reach out to wipe Denise's tears away, but he didn't move.

Finally, Denise spoke. "I think you should leave," she said in a low voice.

_I'm hurting you so I don't have to feel__  
The pain that's in my heart__  
Then I can pretend it's your fault just as mine__  
And now you're gone, I should be glad__  
So why are there still tears?_

"Denise..." Carter began.

"Please, just go," Denise whispered. "I don't want to see you again," she added.

Carter flinched. Then, his jaw clenched. He wasn't going to beg. If Denise wanted him to leave, then that was fine.

The red ranger stormed out of the kitchen.

Denise waited until she heard the front door slam, and then broke down and wept.

-

I know, it's awful, isn't it-.- Please read and review anyway. I'm thinking of doing a second chapter, but I'm not sure. If anyone reviewing wants to see a second chapter, then I might write one


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